title: Effect of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose, on disaccharide splitting enzymes in human dental plaque.
abstract: Inhibition of microbial enzymes in human dental plaque catalyzing the cleavage of the disaccharides maltose, sucrose and lactose was carried out with the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose. The maltases from plaque homogenates were totally inhibited, whereas the inhibition of the invertases varied considerably. With increasing inhibitor concentrations, from 1 mM to 50 mM, the inhibition of the invertases increased. Preincubation for 30 min of the plaque homogenate with inhibitor resulted in a 20% increase of the inhibition of invertase activity. The inhibitor showed non-competitive inhibition of the invertases in the homogenates, whereas the maltases were competitively inhibited. The lactases were not inhibited at all. The invertases from human dental plaque may be alpha-glucosidases and/or beta-fructosidases.
mesh_terms: D020909:Acarbose; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000201:enzymology*; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043324:beta-Fructofuranosidase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D004187:Disaccharides; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D014312:Trisaccharides; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D043324:beta-Fructofuranosidase; D020909:Acarbose